The Palestinian director Omar al Qattan’s film al Aouda (Going Home.. a British Veteran in Palestine) was screened at the Palestinian Cinema Week held recently in Kuwait.
The 52-minutes documentary produced by André Singer and Michael Khlifi, was shot in 1995, in English and Arabic languages with French or English subtitles.
The film tells the story of Major Derek Cooper, an ex-British army major who witnessed the last days of the Mandate in Palestine. The film takes him back to Palestine/Israel where he meets veterans and refugees, as the Peace Process looks set to collapse.
In late 1947, Palestine is a country in the throes of war between Palestine's Arabs and Jews. The British government is officially responsible for maintaining law and order but it quickly loses control and decides to abandon the country on May 15th 1948, leaving behind a war which was to lead to the tragic dispossession of over three quarter million Palestinian Arabs of their homes and the creation of the state of Israel.
One man, Major Derek Cooper, witnessed those final days of the Mandate as an officer in the British army responsible for the protection of the Arab city of Jaffa. His experiences there marked him so deeply that he continued to work on behalf of Palestine's refugees for most of his life.
The film tells the story of his return to Palestine/Israel in the summer of 1995 – Albawaba.com
© 2002 Al Bawaba (www.albawaba.com)
